Various efforts have been done in the past to improve the basic design and utility of a container. Similarly, efforts have been made to further the art of container but they have had limited success.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,056,032 (Abraham Berman), the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a variable volume box in which the outer wall is perforated at various heights, so as to be cut there along reducing the size of the box, wherein the upper outer walls of the box may be used as the flaps to close the box.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,128,031 (Gerald Dembo), the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses an invention relating to cartons, and more particularly to cartons which may be reduced in size as the contents thereof are used.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,168,234 (Fred H. Bartz), the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses form containers of the type allowing reduction of the original volume of the container by the disposal of a used section of the container after dispensing a portion of the contents of the container, while at the same time enabling closing of the reduced carton to minimize air spaces therewithin.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,291,372 (William R. Saidel), the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a laminated and reclosable carton box having strips located on the outer surface thereof at various levels so as to reduce the carton in height when those strips are removed. A top box may be placed at the various levels once the levels are reduced.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,302,855 (William C. Becker), the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses an improved, container construction wherein the same can be reduced in size as the product thereof is progressively removed so that the container construction of this invention will only require a minimum of storage space for the amount of product still remaining in the container construction.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,971,506 (Robert Fred Roenna), the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a tear open and relockable cardboard container comprising a first and a second top member having a first and a second top fold and a first and a second top edge which top members are secured in an overlapping relationship to form a top of the container. The first top member has a container aperture perforation with a locking projection extending toward the first edge. Locking slots extend from the sides of the container aperture perforation. The second member has a first and a second perforation with a lift tab fold line extending between the first and second perforation defining a lift tab therebetween. A lift tab perforation is located on the second top member and intersects the lift tab fold line funning a reopen tab. The container is opened by raising the lift tab to expose the container aperture. The container is relocked by inserting the lift tab into the locking slots with the locking projection extending through the lift tab perforation resulting in a first engagement between the lift tab and the bottom surface of the first member and resulting in a second engagement between the reopen tab and the top surface of the first member. The lift tab forms an obtuse angle with the second member resulting in an increase in the force of the first and second engagements by the weight of the contents of the container upon the lift tab when the container is overturned. The foregoing abstract is merely a resume of one general application, is not a complete discussion of all principles of operation or applications, and is not to be construed as a limitation on the scope of the claimed subject matter.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,512,478 (Ralph J. Korte), the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a paperboard container having an opening member defined by an array of perforations. A coating of plastically deformable and readily rupturable material is disposed on the inside surface of the container and extends on each side of each perforation in the array of perforations including the continuous section of paperboard material between adjacent perforations. The cooperation of the coating of plastically deformable material and the paperboard material ensures that the severances between adjacent perforations will be more precise, less ragged and will not produce detached slivers of paperboard material.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,648,513 (William R. Newman), the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses an invention that is generally accomplished by providing, a sheet of cover material, folding the sheet such that one portion to become the front extends up to a line slightly below the edge of the portion to become the back. The flap of the back portion extending above the front is coated with adhesive; the disposal container is formed by sealing the sides of the folded sheet. Outward of the seal lines that form the container are placed tear lines such as perforation lines. The object to be wrapped then is placed onto the exterior side of the front of the container, and the container is wrapped around the object and sealed with the adhesive strip on the flap to form a package. The ends of the package are then sealed. The package may be opened by tearing at the perforations and unrolling the container by releasing the adhesive flap to recover the wrapped article. After use the used article may be placed inside the container which is then sealed with the pressure-sensitive adhesive on the flap by adhering the flap to the front of the container. In a particularly preferred form, the package is used for wrapping and disposal of catamenial devices. The packages may be made from continuous strips of polymer sheet that are heat sealed at the end of each package and then cut between the packages.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,251,808 (Darryl J. Rudd), the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a variable volume carton box having a top lid with flaps which are secured in the conventional manner for cereal boxes or other boxes used to contain like commodities sold in grocery stores and supermarkets. At least one intermediate circumferential perforation is located around the box so as to allow the box to be reduced in size. Once the box is reduced in size by tearing or cutting along the perforation, another set of intermediate flaps are attached circumferentially around an interior section of the carton box to form the new lid used when the box is reduced in size, if a flexible airtight lining is used within the box, a circumferential perforation or mark line is located thereon just above the circumferential perforation of the variable volume carton box to allow the lining to be folded, thereby forming an airtight lining within the reduced volume carton box.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,676,009 (Harold J. Rose), the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses in a container having a plurality of selectable volumes including a plurality of fold facilitating creases adapted to allow panels to be folded or removed along a fold facilitating crease and/or perforation, further including, a first set and a second set of perforations or other separating mechanism extending substantially parallel to a corner edge to thereby define a removable strip for unconnecting panels that form a corner edge from one another. The first set of perforations and the second set of perforations or other separating mechanism are positioned at a spaced distance from each other. The first set of perforations or other separating mechanism is provided on a first panel while the second set of perforations or other separating mechanism is provided on either the corner edge itself or a second panel that form the corner edge. The container may further include lateral perforations as well as flaps, tabs, slits and slots along a top edge of the panels.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,988,034 (Paul Pezzoli), the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a container that is designed for shipping and holding various items. The container is formed from a blank of a material, such as corrugated material, plastic, paperboard, etc. and includes side panels extending between a top portion and a bottom portion. A tear line extends around the side panels for disengaging the top portion from the container thereby exposing all of the items extending along the side panels. An improved configuration of the perforations or slits along the tear line prevents the corners defined between the side panels from being damaged and deformed and provides for smooth tearing of the tear line from the container. A second tear section is defined in a portion of the container by a perforation line with the tear section being separable from the top portion thereby partially exposing the items contained in the container.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.
This invention improves on the deficiencies of the prior art and provides an inventive reducible container.